Much Ado
by Saya Moonshadow
Summary: Lucy doesn't exactly know what to make of Lisanna after the latter's return from Edolas. Lisanna is eager to make friends and just might be certifiably insane. And Natsu is feeling rather left out of the loop.


**Basically in response to all the "Lisanna came back and Lucy was just her replacement, so Natsu kicks her off the team!" fics. Yup.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**Fairy Tail**_** or any of the related characters; that all belongs to Hiro Mashima.**

**Much Ado  
By: Saya Moonshadow**

In the days leading up from Lisanna's return home from the world on the other side, otherwise known as Edolas or That Place I Never Want To See Again As Long As I Live, Lucy became sure of a few things.

One was that Lisanna really was just as nice and sweet as Levy and Cana had told her.

Two was that everyone was _really_ freaking happy to have her back.

Three was that she was never going to party that hard ever again, holy crap.

For a while she had been almost fearful to get to know the youngest of the Strauss siblings, because she had heard all about how Lisanna had been Natsu's good friend when they were kids and had read between the lines enough to realize that she had also had more-than-platonic feelings for the fire-breathing idiot. She absolutely did not want to start a war over a guy, of all things, and so tried to stay away from the white-haired girl for a while so as not to seem like she was taking up all of Natsu's attention.

Lisanna, however, apparently had other ideas on the subject.

Over the course of the next few days, Lucy was constantly being waylaid by the white-haired girl, who would seriously pop up out of freaking _nowhere_ and more or less demand that they spend time together. "There's an awesome candy shop right over on Cantaloupe Avenue!" she had yelled the fourth time this happened, looping her arm securely through Lucy's and dragging her bodily out of the guild. "You look like you like sweet stuff and I need some insurance, so let's go!"

Why did everyone always assume things about the way she ate?! Honestly.

"Insurance", Lucy found out, was Lisanna's way of saying, "The guy behind the counter is a creep and I don't feel comfortable being in there alone". That was fine. The guy behind the candy shop's counter was indeed a creep, and within five minutes Lucy was on the verge of summoning Taurus to deal with him. Otherwise, the trip was wonderful. Though she hated to admit it, she was probably going to need to go on a diet for the next few weeks in order to work off all the unhealthy stuff she had just consumed.

She had thought that that would be the end of it, but Lisanna wasn't done with her yet. The next few days saw the Takeover wizard dragging the Spirit summoner out for a mission which ended, shockingly, in absolutely none of the reward money being forked over to help pay for damages.

Lucy could really get used to this.

When they returned, Lisanna had ducked immediately upon walking through the door. Lucy turned to ask her what the matter was, but the next second she was on the floor and had absolutely no clue how she had gotten there.

"LUCY!" a very familiar voice bellowed in her ear.

Oh. _That_ was how.

"Uh, hi, Natsu," she said groggily, feeling her head. "It's good to see you too. Now, _get off._"

Natsu either didn't hear the danger tone or just plain ignored it. Either one was a viable option, she thought dismally. Instead, he gave her a very serious stare. "You left on a mission _without me._"

Lucy blinked. "Huh?"

Natsu rolled his eyes. "I said, you left on a mission without me! Do you know how uncool that is?"

It was Lucy's turn to roll her eyes. "Natsu, you and Happy go on missions alone all the time, as do Gray and Erza. And you've never complained before when I've gone solo for something."

"_Yes_, but we always make sure to let you know when we're going! You just walked out and I didn't hear from you for, like, ever!"

It was then that Lucy realized she had indeed forgotten to inform him or anyone else (save Mirajane, who recorded all the missions in the rosters) just where she was going to be. Now, this wasn't _entirely_ her fault, as Lisanna had more or less hauled her out the door with nothing more than a cursory yell at Mirajane that they'd be back in a few days, but she completely understood where he was coming from. She'd have been worried too, had their situations been reversed.

She could faintly hear Lisanna snickering above her, but was too busy concentrating on the still way-too-serious look on Natsu's face. "OK," she said. "Next time I'll make sure to tell you."

He nodded, appeased, and got off of her, offering her a hand to help her up. She took it, and when she was back on her feet, shot him a tentative smile. He responded with a wide grin that had heat flushing in her cheeks.

"Seriously, though, Lucy," Natsu said, "I never see you anymore. Where have you been going?"

How to respond? Somehow, she doubted he'd take, _"Well, you see, I've been periodically kidnapped by your crazy childhood friend over the last week and a half!"_ as a valid answer.

"Ah, that would be me," Lisanna spoke up, causing him to look at her. She grinned at him. "We've been hanging out. I might just have to steal her from you, Natsu. She's awesome, isn't she?"

Natsu mock-glared at her, luckily recognizing the teasing in her tone. "As if! Lucy would never abandon me for you, isn't that right, Lucy?"

"Oh, I don't know," Lisanna said casually, draping an arm over Lucy's suddenly stiff shoulders. "We've been having a lot of fun the last week or so. I may or may not have to form a team with her."

"HA!" he roared triumphantly, dramatically pointing a finger at her. "Too late! She's already on a team with me!"

"Don't forget Happy, Gray, and Erza," Lucy muttered, but he ignored her to keep looking at his new rival. Oh God, was this actually happening? _What_ was happening, anyway? She was having trouble catching up.

Lisanna stuck her tongue out teasingly. "Teams change all the time!"

"Uh," Lucy said, causing both of them to shift their gazes over to her, "but I _like_ my team. A lot. Even though all they ever do is cause me grief." This was directed at Natsu, but just like most things, he brushed it off. "Not...not that I haven't had a lot of fun with you, though! Cuz I have."

Which was actually true, she was shocked to realize. She _had_ had a lot of fun with Lisanna over the past week and a half. Way more fun than she would have ever thought, if she were to be honest with herself. They didn't have much in common, personality-wise, but she had found out first-hand that it was almost impossible to dislike Lisanna on any level. The Takeover wizard was one of the sweetest people she'd ever met, and she could honestly say she was glad to have befriended her.

Oh God. Her earlier worries about offending Lisanna by being so close to Natsu seemed so _stupid_ now. Obviously Lisanna hadn't minded in the least, but she'd been too nervous and crazy to realize it.

Lisanna gave her a look that was sad enough to qualify for Saddest Look Of The Year. And then it cleared up in record time, and the grin was back. "That settles it, then," she said, cracking her knuckles. "I'll fight him and claim you for myself!"

Lucy had just enough time to let out one heartfelt curse before she was knocked over as Natsu threw himself at her, snatching her up and dashing off throughout the guild building with Lisanna hot on his heels. "OUT OF MY WAY, ICE BRAIN!" he howled as Gray wandered into his path, and the next second his foot was planting itself in the Ice Maker's face and using it as a spring board.

"WHAT THE HELL, DUMBASS!" Gray roared back, sending a barrage of Ice Spears at the Dragon Slayer. Lucy shrieked, but the spears fell short of their mark anyway, embedding themselves in Cana's current barrel of alcohol and melting, causing the contents to leak out in a rush as the ice faded in the heat of the room. Cana's eyes widened with horror that was almost comical in its intensity, then she stood up and with a war cry, she threw herself at Gray.

Disaster was thankfully averted by Erza's angry shout that if anyone harmed her cake then she would _slaughter_ them without mercy, but still Natsu did not put Lucy down and instead carried her all the way outside. He finally plonked her down and promptly shoved a mission request into her face, demanding that she make up for her earlier absence by accompanying him and Happy to go on it.

(She shrieked when Happy appeared out of seriously nowhere from behind her to yell, "AYE!" at the top of his lungs.)

Before she turned to go back to her apartment to prepare, however, she risked a glance back through the open doors of the guild. She was not all that surprised to see Lisanna looking back out at her, though the grin and the thumbs up had her flushing a bright red, and she high-tailed it out of there with the other girl's amused laughter ringing in her ears.

Still, she thought as she made her way home, it was always nice to have a new friend. Even if that friend was quite possibly completely insane.

* * *

**END.**

* * *

**AN: Alrighty then, something of an explanation is in order, I think. I honestly can't **_**stand**_** the thought of Natsu kicking Lucy off the team for Lisanna, and my frustration at still seeing so many of those a full two years after Lisanna's return eventually resulted in this oneshot. I mean, seriously. Natsu values friendship above all things - unless Lucy had done something completely unforgivable, he's not going to just kick her out. He also didn't become friends with her for her strength - he decided to form a team with her because she was so nice, so him calling her weak is also a no-go. And as for Lisanna's usual characterization in those fics...where on Earth did anyone get the idea that she'd act in such an evil way? So far she's been nothing but an absolute sweetheart, nor has she made any attempts to get closer to Natsu again in the entire time she's been back (hell, she even apparently supports the Natsu/Lucy action!). It kind of confuses me that anyone could think she's some black-hearted, homewrecking bitch.**

**Anyway, I'm officially done ranting, and any reviews would be lovely! Thanks for reading, no matter what you choose to do!**


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